


Water, Fun, and Little Kids

by Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan



Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:09:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26422426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan/pseuds/Calico_Cat_TIVA_Fan
Summary: DiNozzo fun at the aquarium with the three younger kids. Part of the "You Complete Me" universe.
Relationships: Ziva David/Anthony DiNozzo
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Water, Fun, and Little Kids

Water, Fun, and Little Kids

_DiNozzo fun at the aquarium. May 2024_

"Let's go," Ziva called out to the three youngest DiNozzos. "We have to be at the school by 0830."

Rivka and Beth came to the front entryway from the kitchen. LJ had been in the playroom waiting for the others. Only Tony was missing from the group going on the preschool trip to the Glen Echo Aquarium.

"Is Abba in trouble?" LJ tugged at his Ima's sleeve. "He is not ready." Ziva smiled to herself; even at just two and one half, her youngest was a stickler for rules. There were days when she swore the child channeled his grandfather.

"He **will** be if…" Ziva was cut off by the appearance of her husband into the entryway.

Tony smirked at her, "Abba is **NOT** in trouble." He ruffled LJ's hair and grinned. "Is everyone ready to go have some fun?" LJ scowled at his father as he nodded and smoothed his hair.

Beth grinned at her father, "Yep; I wanna go to the 'quar-ee-um!" She followed her twin to the family minivan as Ziva used her remote fob to open the doors. The three preschoolers climbed into their booster seats; the twins secured their own seatbelts and helped LJ make sure his seat harness was secured.

Tony's phone rang as the adults opened the driver's and front passenger doors; he and Ziva switched sides as he swiped the screen to answer the call.

"This better be good, as in life or death emergency, Randell," he greeted his second in charge. "Remember I'm taking a personal day." He listened to the caller as Ziva started the engine and backed out of the driveway. "Uh huh… nope… do what you gotta… yep… uh huh… gotcha…"

In the rear seat, the three kids chatted about the upcoming trip to the aquarium in a Maryland park. The girls told their little brother about the names of some of the animals that they learned during the week in preparation for the visit to the aquarium.

"We can see lots of types of fish," Rivka told him. "Miss Sharon says they have animals we can touch too. There are horseshoe crabs, whelks, and turtles that we can touch. And clownfish, catfish, and other fish that we can look at."

Beth listened to her sister before adding, "And they have baby sharks and eels and stingrays, too. I want to see the sharks. But they are not like _Jaws_ , so Abba might be disappointed."

Ziva listened to her three chatting as she drove to the girls' preschool. She smiled at the movie reference; these were definitely mini versions of their Abba in many ways. The four-year-old twins were very into references to films lately; their Abba's influence was obvious. She glanced in the rearview mirror, angling her view to see the three kids. LJ was soaking in all that his sisters could tell him about the aquarium.

Tony wound down his phone call as Ziva turned into the school parking lot. "I trust you to handle it, Randell. I'm going on a field trip with my kids; so I'm gonna be out of pocket for most of the day. Family before job," he pulled the phone from his ear and muted the ringer.

Ziva parked and the five DiNozzos joined the group of kids, parents, teachers, and aides getting ready to board the school bus for the drive to Glen Echo Park and the aquarium. Riv and Beth greeted their friends as the four classes separated into groups. The forty two students were paired for the buddy system; the DiNozzo girls chose each other. The four teachers and four aides lined the kids up to seat them in their pairs on the bus. The seven parents plus LJ stood to the side as the children filed onto the school bus.

One of the aides turned to Tony, "Dad, we can give you a seat of your own for leg room, if you want."

"He not **DAD**! He is **ABBA** ," LJ asserted. "My Abba." The little boy took his father's hand as the two approached the door of the bus. Tony smiled at the aide as he lifted LJ up the steps and placed the boy on the aisle.

"Go find a seat for you and Ima," he instructed his youngest. LJ headed for the back of the bus where he'd spotted his sisters. He followed the little boy with Ziva right behind him.

LJ slid into an empty seat and grinned at his parents. Ziva sat next to him and Tony maneuvered himself into the empty seat in front of theirs. He angled his body so that he had enough leg room, glad that he did have the seat alone. The plus side was that he could also partially face Ziva and the kids the way he had to sit.

For many of the PK3 students, the ride to the aquarium was their first bus ride. They were for the most part totally fascinated with the adventure and watched everything for the thirty minute drive. LJ was on his knees so he could see out the window and pointed out things to his parents.

At the park, the staff directed the bus driver to a parking lot specifically for buses, motorhomes, and similar vehicles. After he stopped the bus in one of the lined off spaces, the lead teacher reminded the children to stay with their assigned group and buddy before the swarm of kids exited the vehicle.

A guide and several assistants met the group at the entrance to the aquarium. "We'll be taking you on a tour of our exhibits, then to our outdoor café for lunch, and finally to the hands-on interactive activities to wrap up your visit." He then addressed the kids, "Who knows what kind of animals live in the water?"

"FISH!" several kids called out. "Sharks," a few others answered. "Polar bears," a boy from the twins' class replied.

"ALL animals need water," LJ remembered something Grandpa told him. The guide gave the little boy a thumbs' up and LJ broke out in a huge DiNozzo grin. Tony squeezed his hand slightly.

"You are all correct," the guide explained. "Today, you will get to see many animals and plants that live in or near water. Some like fresh water and some like salt water. We have both here. Who knows where salt water is located?"

Rivka raised her hand and jumped up and down, "I know; it's at the ocean. And in Haifa at the beach."

The group followed the guide into the main entrance to the lobby area. Large tanks lined the walls. Ziva watched as the children looked around at the colorful tanks of fish, plants, and water animals. LJ stood with his mouth slightly opened as he turned to look at all of the water around them.

"It is a **WATER ZOO**!" he exclaimed with excitement. Tony had to turn away to hide his smile and slight snicker.

Ziva nudged her husband, "Why are you laughing, Tony? Animals in glass cages filled with water. That **makes** it a water zoo. LJ is correct in his reasoning."

"Yeah, but it sounds so funny," Tony tried not to laugh out loud. "Only our kid would come up with something like that, you know."

Ziva grinned, "I like the way his brain thinks."

The children and adults followed the guide to the various displays of creatures and plants that lived in or near water. In the one of the salt water displays, Beth noticed the eels.

"Abba, is that a snake?" she asked warily. She did not like snakes at all.

Tony pointed to the sign on the wall by the tank, "That's a green moray eel." He read the information about the snake-like fish to his number three ninja. Rivka joined her Abba and twin. Suddenly he grinned at the two girls, "Hey, that's a-more!" he sang the line from one of the songs his children all knew well.

Rivka and Beth shared a look and an eye-roll. Ziva noticed the girls' reaction and laughed out loud.

"What?" she responded to her husband's glare. "Did you not see the twins' shared eye-roll?"

He smirked at his wife, "The sun hit my eye like a big pizza pie…" She swatted his arm playfully and shook her head. Her big kid was just as goofy and silly as her little kids. She loved him for his playfulness and goofiness; it helped make him a wonderful father to their five.


End file.
